Internet-audiotext electronic advertising system with enhanced matching and notification

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an electronic advertising system. More specifically, the present invention provides a computer based matching system that is significantly more convenient for the advertiser. In the present invention, when a person places a personal ad on the system, either via a telephone or via the Internet, the person creates a personal profile of himself by answering questions about himself and the type of person he wishes to meet. At the conclusion of the ad taking process, the system automatically finds other advertisers (whether they placed their ad via audiotext or the Internet) that match the new advertiser&#39;s profile, and the system gives the new advertiser information on how to contact his matches. Conversely, the system notifies existing advertisers when a new ad is placed that matches their profile. The system also assists users by automatically finding ads similar to those to which users respond. Finally, the system assists advertisers by automatically notifying an advertiser when a response is left to his ad.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.08/744,879, filed Nov. 8, 1996.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to audiotext systems designed to providefull access to traditional databases and telecommunications systems,such as local area networks, the Internet, other external databases,telephones and fax machines, etc., and more specifically to audiotextpersonal ad services.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Audiotext personal ad services are a popular way for people to meet, andare available in most newspapers and on many cable television systems.In a typical service, an advertiser calls a live operator and places atext personal ad. An advertiser then calls an audiotext system andrecords an audio message, often referred to as a greeting, which expandsupon the advertiser's text ad by describing in more detail theadvertiser and the type of person he is seeking. Personal ads are thenpublished in a newspaper. A personal ad includes a 900 telephone numberand an ad mailbox number permitting a caller to listen to anadvertiser's voice greeting. A caller can respond to an ad by recordinga reply voice mail message for the advertiser. An advertiser retrieves amessage by calling the audiotext system and entering a password given atthe time of ad placement. In another format, live operators are notused. Instead, an advertiser first records an audio greeting viatelephone. An operator then listens to the audio greeting off-line andwrites a text summary of the audio greeting for publication in thenewspaper.

With the expansion of the Internet and other on-line services, personalad services have been created to take advantage of this new medium. Atypical service allows an advertiser to place a text personal ad that ispublished on the Internet on an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) page.An Internet user may respond to a personal ad by sending an advertiser amessage via electronic mail. The limitation of this approach is that anInternet user cannot listen to an audio recording of an advertiser, afeature that is the central to audiotext personal ad services. Anotherlimitation is that telephone users cannot exchange messages withInternet users. Another limitation is that many people do not haveInternet access, thus limiting the number of advertisers andrespondents.

In another format, an attempt is made to integrate audiotext personalads services with the Internet. Using this approach, a newspaperpublishes personal ads in both the newspaper and on the Internet. Eachpersonal ad includes a 900 telephone number and an ad mailbox numberpermitting a caller to listen to an advertiser's voice greeting. Thisapproach still has the disadvantage of not allowing an Internet user tolisten to an advertiser's voice greeting via the Internet. Moreover, anInternet user can only respond to a personal ad via a telephone.

To summarize, existing Internet personal ad services are limited in thatthey lack many of the features available on audiotext personal adservices. Also, existing personal ad services do not provide a means forthose using an audiotext personal ad service to effectively communicatewith those using an Internet personal ad service and visa versa.Therefore, there is a need for a personal ad system that seamlesslyintegrates an audiotext system with an Internet server, allowingstraightforward communication between those using a telephone and thoseon the Internet. Such a system has been proposed in detail by thepresent inventor which comprises U.S. application Ser. No. 08/744,879.However, there is still the need to address some of the problemsinherent in an integrated audiotext and Internet based personal adservice.

A basic problem is that when a person places an ad, he must wait for hisad to be published and then for someone to respond to it in order tomeet someone. A second problem is that if an advertiser wants to meetsomeone by responding to other personal ads, he must scan a large numberof ads to identify a relatively small number of ads that meet hiscriteria. In addition, if an advertiser does not locate a suitable ad ona given day, the advertiser must in general do a complete search on thefollowing day, since ads are generally not segregated based upon whetherthey have been newly placed. Moreover, since new ads can be placed bothvia an audiotext system and via the Internet, the advertiser might needto scan both the audiotext system and the Internet to find new ads.Finally, advertisers are not notified when they receive a response totheir ad, thus requiring advertisers to check their mailbox frequentlyso as not to miss a message.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a computer based matching system that issignificantly more convenient for the advertiser. In the presentinvention, when a person places a personal ad on the system, whether viatelephone or via the Internet, he creates a personal profile of himselfby answering questions about himself and the type of person he wishes tomeet. At the conclusion of the ad taking process, the systemautomatically finds other advertisers (whether they placed their ad viaaudiotext or the Internet) that match the new advertiser's profile, andthe system gives the new advertiser information on how to contact hismatches. In addition, during the ad taking process, a person is asked toinput a telephone number and an e-mail address. Thereafter, any time anew personal ad comes on to the system that matches the person's profile(whether the ad originates on the audiotext system or on the Internet),the person is notified of the new ad and given instructions of how tocontact the new match. Also, each time a person responds to a personalad, the system automatically finds and presents other personal ads withsimilar characteristics to save the user time in finding an appealingad. Finally, each time someone responds to a personal ad, the advertiseris automatically notified both via telephone and via electronic mail.

The significant advantages provided by the present invention areapparent from the above description. The system of the present inventiondoes not require the advertiser to scan large numbers of ads, or torepeatedly scan for new ads. In addition, new advertisers can meetsomeone faster because they are automatically matched with otheradvertisers at the time of ad placement and notified when someoneresponds to their ad.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference ismade to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a table of the fields used for storing personal data,including a brief description of the particular fields.

FIG. 3 shows a table of the fields used for storing greetings data,including a brief description of the particular fields.

FIG. 4 shows a table of the fields used for storing response data,including a brief description of the particular fields.

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the presentinvention, more specifically placing an ad through a telephone.

FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the presentinvention, more specifically placing an ad through the Internet.

FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofnotifying an existing advertiser of new matches as accomplished by thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofadvertiser matching through a telephone as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofadvertiser matching through the Internet as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofreviewing and summarizing ads as accomplished by the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows personal ads as they would appear in a local newspaper.

FIG. 12 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofresponding to an ad through a telephone as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 13 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofresponding to an ad through the Internet as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 14 shows a maximized personal ad as seen by the Internet user whochooses to expand the ad to full-page size.

FIG. 15 shows a flow diagram of the response confirmation process,including the Response Confirmation Form which gives the Internet userinstructions on how to enhance a response to an ad with, audio, video ora photograph.

FIG. 16 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofnotifying an advertiser of a response as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 17 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofretrieving responses through a telephone as accomplished by the presentinvention.

FIG. 18 shows a flow diagram of an exemplary operation of the process ofretrieving responses through the Internet as accomplished by the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the present inventionis disclosed herein. However, telephone techniques, physicalcommunication systems, data formats and operating structures inaccordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide varietyof forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those inthe disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural andfunctional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet inthat regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for purposesof disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein which definethe scope of the present invention.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a series of remote telephone terminalsT1-Tn are represented. In addition, a series of remote computerterminals CT1-CTn are represented. The indicated terminals T1-Tnrepresent the multitude of telephone terminals existing in associationwith the public telephone network PTN. The indicated computer terminalsCT1-CTn represent the multitude of computer terminals connected to theInternet.

The public telephone network PTN, which accommodates the individualterminals T1-Tn, is coupled to an Interactive Voice Response System IVR.The Internet, which accommodates individual computer terminals CT1-CTn,is coupled to an Internet Web Server IWS. Individual callers use theindividual telephone stations T1 through Tn to interface the IVR throughthe public telephone network PTN. Individual users at computer terminalsCT1 through CTn use the Internet to interface the Internet Web Server.Telephone callers and Internet users may record digital audio messagesthat can be listened to from any of the remote telephone terminals T1-Tnor from any of the remote computer terminals CT1-CTn. Internet users mayleave digital text messages that may be accessed from any of the remotetelephone terminals T1-Tn using text to speech or from the remotecomputer terminals CT1-CTn via computer monitor.

Considering the system of FIG. 1 in somewhat greater detail, it is to beunderstood that the public telephone network has multiplexing capabilityfor individually coupling the terminals T1-Tn to the IVR on request. Inthe illustrative embodiment of the system, the individual terminalsT1-Tn take the form of existing traditional or conventional telephoneinstruments. It is also to be understood that the Internet has thecapability for individually connecting the computer terminals CT1-CTn tothe Internet Web Server. In the illustrative embodiment of the system,the individual computer terminals CT1-CTn take the form of personalcomputers that comprise a central processing unit CPU, modem, monitor,keyboard, hard drive, sound card, speakers, and microphone.

Considering the IVR in somewhat greater detail, the public telephonenetwork PTN is coupled to an IVR FIG. 1. In the disclosed embodiment,from the public telephone network PTN, forty-eight lines are connectedto the IVR and, accordingly, the IVR may accommodate up to forty-eightsimultaneous calls from the public telephone network PTN. The IVRcontains a processor, an exemplary form of which is an Intel 166 MHzPentium Processor. The forty-eight lines from the public telephonenetwork (PTN) are connected to the processor though an interface 15, anexemplary form of which is a series of commercially available Dialogic(D240SC-T1) cards. The interface incorporates modems, tone decoders,switching mechanisms, DNIS and ANI capability. The Dialogic card storesaudio information in the Dialogic .VOX format.

Generally, DNIS capability is a function of the public telephone networkPTN to provide digital data indicating the called number. ANI capabilityis a similar function whereby the digital data indicates the callingnumber.

Considering the Internet Web Server in somewhat greater detail, the IWSis coupled to the Internet via a DS1 line to a local Internet providerservice. The IWS may accommodate a multitude of simultaneous Internetusers. As represented, the IWS is a micro computer programmed forInternet information server operations. The IWS contains a processor andInternet server software, exemplary forms of which are an Intel 166 MhzPentium Processor and Microsoft Internet Information Server software.

The IWS is also loaded with RealAudio Server software from ProgressiveNetwork. RealAudio allows a Microsoft Windows .WAV files to be convertedinto a RealAudio .RA file, a compressed format that allows play backover the Internet in real time, as opposed to first downloading a fileand then listening to it. RealAudio accomplishes this by playing anaudio file while it is still downloading, using a process called datastreaming.

The IWS is also loaded with VDOLive Server software. VDOLive allows avideo clip in the Microsoft Windows AVI, Apple Quicktime, or MPEG videofile formats to be converted into a VDOLive .VDO format, a compressedformat that allows play back over the Internet in real time, as opposedto first downloading a file and then listening to it. VDOLive alsoutilizes data streaming.

The IVR and the IWS are coupled to a Database Server DBS via an Ethernethub as shown in FIG. 1. The system includes one or more OperatorWorkstations OW1-OWn, through which an operator can interact with andcontrol the DBS, IVR and IWS.

The database server DBS is a computer programmed for databaseoperations. In the illustrated embodiment, the DBS manages a personal AdDatabase which is comprised of multiple tables that manage ad creation,the audio greeting files, ad response files, photograph and video files.The Ad Database comprises an electronic equivalent of the personalclassified ads placed via telephone and the Internet, and responsesplaced to ads.

The IVR converts audio files received via telephone into the RealAudioRA format for real time retrieval via the Internet. Conversely, the IWSconverts audio files received via the Internet into Dialogic .VOX filesfor retrieval via telephone. Audio file conversions are done throughaudio file conversion software, a exemplary form of which is Sound Forgeby Sonic Foundry.

The DBS contains a processor and an SQL (Structured Query Language)relational database software, exemplary forms of which are the Intel 166Mhz Pentium Processor and Microsoft SQL Server.

The Operator Workstation (OW) is a conventional personal computerequipped with a sound card capable of playing the audio data and a videodisplay capable of displaying digitally stored photographs and videos.An exemplary form of the OW is a microcomputer equipped with an Intel166 Mhz Pentium Processor and a Creative Labs Sound Blaster sound card.Operators review all incoming advertiser files--text, audio, photograph,and video--to insure that their content is appropriate. Also, operatorsto create text ads for publication in a newspaper.

The following sections describe in greater detail the interactionbetween the IVR, the DBS, the IWS, and the OW.

PLACING AN AD THROUGH A TELEPHONE

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to a specifictelephone caller placing a personal advertisement will now be treated toaccomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 5. First, suppose atelephone caller at terminal T1 makes a call to place a personaladvertisement in response to an advertisement in XYZ newspaper. Theassumed call involves the telephone caller actuating the buttons toinput the number 1 800 555 3333, for example. As a result, signals areprovided to the public telephone network resulting in a connection fromthe remote terminal T1 to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, theIVR associates the called number 1 800 555 3333 with a specific format,for example, a voice personals ad taking format.

The caller is first prompted to create a profile of himself by answeringa series of questions using the buttons on his touch tone phone. Theprofile contains data on the advertiser and the type of person theadvertiser wishes to meet. Referring initially to FIG. 5, upon receivinga call, the IVR cues the caller to enter his telephone number 801. TheIVR stores the telephone number 802 in the field AD₋₋ PHONE 203. Next,the IVR cues the caller to enter his gender 803. For example: "If youare a woman, press 1. If you are a man, press 2." The IVR stores thecaller's gender 804 in the field AD₋₋ GENDER 207. Next, the IVR cues thecaller for his marital status 805. For example: "If you are single,press 1. If you are divorced, press 2. If you are widowed, press 3." Thecaller responds and the IVR stores the caller's marital status 806 inthe field AD₋₋ MARITAL₋₋ STATUS 208. Next, the IVR cues the caller forhis age 807. For example: "Please enter your age." The caller's age isthen stored 808 in the field AD₋₋ AGE 209.

Next, the caller is prompted to indicate the type of person he wishes tomeet. The IVR first cues the caller for the martial status of the personhe is seeking 825. For example: "If you wish to meet someone who issingle, press 1. If you wish to meet someone who is divorced, press 2.If you wish to meet someone who is widowed, press 3." The martial statussought is then stored 826 in the field AD₋₋ MARITAL₋₋ SOUGHT 212. Next,the IVR cues the caller to enter the lowest age of the person he wishesto meet 827. For example: "Please enter the lowest age of the person youwish to meet." The low age sought is them stored 828 in the field LOW₋₋AGE₋₋ SOUGHT 213. Finally, the IVR cues the caller to enter the highestage of the person he wishes to meet 829. For example: "Please enter thehighest age of the person you wish to meet." The high age sought is thenstored 830 in the field HIGH₋₋ AGE₋₋ SOUGHT 214. It is to be understoodthat the actual questions asked about the caller and the person he isseeking are merely illustrative. The actual questions could vary greatlyin both number and kind.

Next, the IVR cues the caller to record an audio greeting 812. Theadvertiser's audio greeting is then stored to a disk file on the IVR 813and the Ad Database is updated 809. Specifically, the AD₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG210 in the AD₋₋ PERSONAL₋₋ TABLE FIG. 2 is set to FALSE indicating thatthe ad must be reviewed by an operator. In addition, a new record iscreated in the AD₋₋ GREETINGS₋₋ TABLE FIG. 3 and the field GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋FLAG 303 set to FALSE to indicate that the audio greeting has not beenreviewed. In the new record, the fields GR₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 301, GR₋₋TYPE 302, GR₋₋ FILENAME 304, GR₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 305 in the table AD₋₋GREETINGS FIG. 3 are also populated to indicate the advertiser's mailboxnumber, the format of the audio file, and the location of the audio fileon the IVR, and the date and time the greeting was recorded. The fieldGR₋₋ TYPE is set to VOX to indicate that the audio recording is in theDialogic .VOX file format. Finally, the field GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 306is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio file must be converted fromthe Dialogic .VOX format to create a new audio file in the RealAudio .RAformat for playback on the Internet.

The IVR then cues the caller to indicate if he wishes to record ane-mail address 816. For example: "Press 1 to input an e-mail address.Press 2 to decline." If the caller elects to leave an e-mail address,the IVR cues the caller to record his e-mail address 817. The audiorecording is stored to a disk file on the IVR 818 and the field AD₋₋EMAIL₋₋ FILENAME 205 in table AD PERSONAL FIG. 2 is set, indicating thatan e-mail audio file exists and its location on the IVR.

Next, the IVR assigns the advertiser a five digit mailbox number 819.For example: "Your 5-digit mailbox number is 12345." The mailbox numberis then stored 820 in the field AD₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 201. The IVR thencues the caller to enter a five digit password 821. The password isstored 822 in the field AD₋₋ PASSWORD 202.

In addition, the IVR stores the date the ad is taken in the field AD₋₋DATE₋₋ TIME 206, and updates the field AD₋₋ ORIGIN 211 to indicate thatthe personal ad originated on the telephone 823. Finally, the IVRcreates an electronic mailbox for the advertiser on the IWS 824, usingthe mailbox number stored in the field AD₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 201 as theelectronic mailbox address, to allow respondents to submit audio, videoand photographic files in response to the advertiser's ad.

Finally, the IVR queries the Ad Database to determine if there are otherexisting advertiser's whose profile matches that of the new advertiser831. More specifically, there is a match if the values in the field AD₋₋MARITAL₋₋ STATUS 208 and the values in the field AD₋₋ MARITAL SOUGHT 212match for each ad, and if the value in the field AD₋₋ AGE 209 for eachad is within the range of values in the fields AD₋₋ LOW₋₋ AGE₋₋ SOUGHT213 and AD₋₋ HIGH₋₋ AGE₋₋ SOUGHT 214 for the other ad. If the queryfinds one or more ads that match, the IVR speaks the number of matchingads to the caller 832. For example: "The number of ads that match yourpreferences is 5." The caller is then given both a 900 number 833 and anInternet address 834 that can be used to retrieve the matches, and thecall is terminated 835. If no matches are found, the call is terminated835.

In addition, the mailbox numbers of matching ads are placed in anotification queue 836, together with delivery information correspondingto the matching ad so that the existing advertisers can be notified thata new personal ad has come onto the system that matches the existingadvertisers' profile. The delivery information includes the telephonenumber and e-mail address, if available, of the existing advertiser tobe notified, together with mailbox number of the new ad coming onto thesystem.

PLACING AN AD THROUGH THE INTERNET

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to a specific Internetuser placing a personal advertisement will now be treated to accomplishthe process as indicated in FIG. 6. First, suppose a Internet user atterminal CT1 connects to the Internet to place a personal advertisementin response to an advertisement in XYZ newspaper. The assumed Internetuser connects to the Internet and inputs a Uniform Reference LocatorURL, for example: http://www.personal₋₋ ads.com, resulting in aconnection from the remote terminal CT1 to a Home Page 1001 on theInternet Web Server.

Referring to FIG. 6, from the Home Page 1001 on the IWS, the Internetuser selects an Ad Placement Form 1002. The Ad Placement Form 1002contains the following input fields corresponding to fields in the AdDatabase as indicated:

    ______________________________________                                        Gender 1003     AD.sub.-- GENDER 207                                          Marital Status 1004                                                                           AD.sub.-- MARITAL.sub.-- STATUS 208                           Age 1005        AD.sub.-- AGE 209                                             Martial Sought 1034                                                                           AD.sub.-- MARTIAL.sub.-- SOUGHT 212                           Low Age Sought 1035                                                                           AD.sub.-- LOW.sub.-- AGE.sub.-- SOUGHT 213                    High Age Sought 1036                                                                          AD.sub.-- HIGH.sub.-- AGE.sub.-- SOUGHT 214                   E-mail address 1006                                                                           AD.sub.-- EMAIL.sub.-- ADDRESS 204                            Phone Number 1007                                                                             AD.sub.-- PHONE 203                                           Password 1008   AD.sub.-- PASSWORD 202                                        Greeting Text 1014                                                                            GR.sub.-- FILENAME 304                                        ______________________________________                                    

This process largely parallels the process of placing a personal ad viaa telephone. The password 1008 is used by the advertiser to retrievemessages and the e-mail address 1006 and telephone number 1007 are usedto contact the advertiser. The gender 1003, age 1005, and marital status1004 fields create a profile of the advertiser. The marital sought 1034,low age sought 1035 and high age sought 1036 fields complete theadvertiser's profile by indicating the type of person the advertiserwishes to meet. Finally, the field Greeting Text 1014 comprises theadvertiser's text personal ad.

The Internet user completes the Ad Placement Form 1002 and presses the"Submit" button to submit her ad. The form is checked by the IWS forcompleteness 1016. If the form is incomplete, the user is returned tothe Ad Placement Form 1002. If the form is complete, the IWS updates theAd Database 1017. This includes assigning the user a five digit mailboxnumber and storing it in the field AD₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 201. Inaddition, the advertiser's profile, contact information, password andgreeting are added to the Ad Database. Also, the advertiser's textgreeting is stored to a disk file on the IWS. Next, the AD₋₋ REVIEW₋₋FLAG 210 in the AD₋₋ PERSONAL₋₋ TABLE FIG. 2 is set to FALSE indicatingthat the ad must be reviewed by an operator, a new record is created inthe AD₋₋ GREETINGS₋₋ TABLE FIG. 3, and the field GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 303is set to FALSE to indicate that the text greeting has not beenreviewed. In the new record, the fields GR₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 301, GR₋₋TYPE 302, GR₋₋ FILENAME 304, GR₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 305 in the table AD₋₋GREETINGS FIG. 3 are also populated to indicate the advertiser's mailboxnumber, the file format, and the location of the text file on the IWS,and the date and time the greeting was placed. Specifically, the fieldGR₋₋ TYPE is set to TEXT. Finally, the field GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG isset to TRUE to indicate that the text does not need to be converted to adifferent format.

Next, the IWS queries the Ad Database to determine if there are otherexisting advertiser's whose profile matches that of the new advertiser1018. The IWS then creates an Ad Confirmation Page 1020. If the queryfinds one or more ads that match, the Ad Confirmation Page displays atext message of the number of matching ads 1027. The text message isdisplayed as a link which can be followed by a browser to the actualmatching ads. In addition, the Ad Confirmation Page 1020 confirms theadvertiser's mailbox number 1021, and gives the advertiser instructionson how to include an audio greeting 1022, photograph 1023, or video clip1024 with her personal ad. Also, the IWS stores the date and time the adis taken in the field AD₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 206, and updates the field AD₋₋ORIGIN 211 to indicate that the personal ad originated on the Internet1025. Finally, the IWS creates an electronic mailbox for the advertiser1026, using the mailbox number stored in the field AD₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBERas the electronic mail address, to allow respondents to submit audio,video and photographic files in response to the advertiser's ad.

In addition, the mailbox numbers of matching ads are placed in anotification queue 1038, together with delivery informationcorresponding to the matching ad so that the existing advertisers can benotified that a new personal ad has come onto the system that matchesthe existing advertisers' profile. The delivery information includes thetelephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the existingadvertiser to be notified, together with the mailbox number of the newad coming onto the system.

ENHANCING AN INTERNET AD WITH AUDIO, PHOTOGRAPH AND VIDEO

A more detailed explanation of how an advertiser submits an audiogreeting, photograph, or video clip via CT1 will now be given. To submitan audio greeting, the advertiser first makes an audio recording using aWAV file editor and then saves the file using her five digit mailboxnumber as the file name 1030 FIG. 6, for example: 44567.wav. Theadvertiser then submits the audio file using e-mail to an audio greetingelectronic mailbox 1031, for example: audio₋₋ greeting@personals.com.The advertiser's audio recording is stored to a disk file on the IWS.

In addition, a new record is created in the AD₋₋ GREETINGS₋₋ TABLE FIG.3 and the Ad Database is updated 1032. Specifically, the field GR₋₋REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 303 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio greetinghas not been reviewed. Also, the fields GR₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 301, GR₋₋TYPE 302, GR₋₋ FILENAME 304, GR₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 305 in the AD₋₋GREETINGS₋₋ TABLE FIG. 3 are populated to indicate the advertiser'smailbox number, the format of the audio file, and the location of theaudio file on the IWS, and the date and time the greeting placed. Thefield GR₋₋ TYPE is set to WAV to indicate that the audio recording is inthe Microsoft .WAV file format. Finally, the field GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋FLAG is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio file must be convertedfrom the Microsoft .WAV format to create two new audio files: one in theRealAudio .RA format for playback on the Internet, and another in theDialogic .VOX format for playback via the telephone.

To enhance a personal ad with a photograph, the advertiser firstdigitizes a photograph using a scanner or takes a photograph with adigital camera and then saves the image to a .GIF file using her fivedigit mailbox number as the file name 1037, for example: 44567.gif. Theadvertiser then submits the graphic file using e-mail to an photographelectronic mailbox, for example: photo@personals.com 1031.

The advertiser's photo is stored to a disk file on the IWS and the AdDatabase is updated 1032. Specifically, a new record is created in theAD₋₋ GREETINGS₋₋ TABLE FIG. 3 and the field GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 303 setto FALSE to indicate that the graphic file has not been reviewed. Ineach new record, the fields GR₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 301, GR₋₋ TYPE 302,GR₋₋ FILENAME 304, GR₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 305 in the table AD₋₋ GREETINGS FIG.3 are also populated to indicate the advertiser's mailbox number, theformat of the graphic file, and the location of the graphic file on theIWS, and the date and time the photograph was received. The field GR₋₋TYPE 302 is set to GIF to indicate that the graphic file is in the .GIFfile format. Finally, the field GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 306 is set toTRUE to indicate that no file conversion is necessary as .GIF is thegraphic file format used by the IWS. If other graphic formats wereaccepted, they might have to be converted to a .GIF format, depending onthe file formats supported by the IWS. If file conversion werenecessary, the field GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 306 would be set to FALSE.

To enhance a personal ad with video, the advertiser first digitizes avideo clip and then saves the image to a Microsoft .AVI file using herfive digit mailbox number as the file name 1037, for example: 44567.avi.Other video formats such as Apple Quicktime, or MPEG video could also beused. The advertiser then submits the graphic file using e-mail to anelectronic mailbox, for example: video@personals.com 1031.

The advertiser's video clip is stored to a disk file on the IWS and theAd Database is updated 1032. Specifically, a new record is created inthe AD₋₋ GREETINGS table FIG. 3 and the field GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 303 setto FALSE to indicate that the video file has not been reviewed. In eachnew record, the fields GR₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 301, GR₋₋ TYPE 302, GR₋₋FILENAME 304, GR₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 305 in the table AD₋₋ GREETINGS FIG. 3are populated to indicate the advertiser's mailbox number, the format ofthe video file, and the location of the video file on the IWS, and thedate and time the video was received. Specifically, the field GR₋₋ TYPE302 is set to AVI to indicate that the video clip is in the Microsoft.AVI file format. Finally, the field GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 306 is setto FALSE to indicate that the video file must be converted to theVDOLive format for real time playback on the Internet.

NOTIFYING AN EXISTING ADVERISER OF NEW MATCHES

FIG. 7 illustrates the notification routine that processes the recordsplaced in the notification queue in step 836 of FIG. 5 and step 1038 ofFIG. 6. In step 7001, the DBS scans the notification queue to determineif any notifications are scheduled to be made at the present time. Aspreviously described, each notification record includes the telephonenumber and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser to benotified, together with the mailbox number of the new matching personalad that has come onto the system. In step 7003, the DBS scans thenotification record for an e-mail address. If an e-mail address ispresent, the DBS sends the record to the IWS 7004. In step 7005, the IWSsends an e-mail message to the advertiser informing him that a new adhas come onto the system that matches his profile. The e-mail messageincludes the mailbox number of the new ad. The mailbox number is also alink that can be followed to the actual ad for those retrieving theire-mail via a browser. Step 7006 sends the record to the IVR. In step7007, the IVR dials an advertiser's telephone number contained in thecallback record and waits for a response. If a voice response is notreceived, then the IVR sends a corresponding message to the DBS. The DBSthen marks the time of the attempted callback in the notification queuerecord, so that a set period of time can be established between callbackattempts. Note could also be made if an e-mail message had been sent toavoid sending duplicate notifications. If a voice response is received7008, then, in step 7009, the IVR sends a voice message informing theperson that a new ad has come onto the system that matches the person'sprofile. The voice message also gives a 900 number and Internet addressthat can be used to receive the match. It may be desirable in certainapplications to prompt the person who answers the telephone for apassword and mailbox number to verify their identity. Also, it may bedesirable to actually allow the person to listen and respond to hismatch during the call.

ADVERTISER MATCHING VIA TELEPHONE

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to an advertiserretrieving personal ads that match his preferences will now be treatedto accomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 8. First, suppose atelephone caller at terminal T1 places a call to retrieve matches afterhaving placed a personal ad or after having been notified of theexistence of a new personal ad that match his preferences. The assumedcall involves the advertiser actuating the buttons to input the number 1900 777 4444, for example. As a result, signals are provided to thepublic telephone network resulting in a connection from the remoteterminal T1 to the IVR. Using standard DNIS techniques, the IVRassociates the called number 1 900 777 4444 with a specific format, forexample, a match retrieval format.

Referring to FIG. 8, upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the "logonattempts" equal to zero 8001. The IVR then increments the "logonattempts" by one 8002 and cues the caller for a mailbox number andpassword 8003. The IVR then queries the Ad Database to determine if themailbox number and password are valid. If the entries are not valid, theIVR determines if the caller has exceeded the maximum number of logonsattempts allowed 8005. If the caller has exceeded the maximum number oflogon attempts allowed, the call is terminated 8006. If the maximumnumber of logon attempts allowed has not been exceeded, the IVRincrements the "logon attempts" by one 8002 and again cues the callerfor a mailbox number and password 8003.

If the entries are valid, the IVR then queries the Ad Database forexisting ads whose profile matches that of the caller 8008. If there areno matches, the call is terminated 8006. If the IVR finds a match, theIVR plays the greeting of the matching ad 8009. If the greeting is intext form, the IVR uses text to speech to play the message. The IVR thenprompts the caller to indicate if he wishes to respond to the ad 8010.

If the caller elects not to respond to the ad and there are noadditional matches, the call is terminated 8015. If the caller electsnot to respond to the ad and there are additional matches, the caller isreturned to block 8009.

If the caller elects to respond to the ad, the IVR next cues him torecord his response 8011. The IVR then stores the response to a diskfile 8012 and updates the Ad Database 8013. Specifically, the IVRcreates a new record in the AD₋₋ RESPONSE table FIG. 4 and populates thefields RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of the adresponded to, the date and time of the response, the format of theresponse, and the location of the response file on the IVR. The fieldRSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to VOX to indicate that the audio recording is inthe Dialogic .VOX file format. Finally, the field RSP₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋FLAG 506 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio must be convertedfrom the Dialogic .VOX format to create a new audio file in theRealAudio .RA format for playback on the Internet.

The IVR creates a new RealAudio .RA file from Dialogic .VOX file andstores the RealAudio file to a disk file on the IWS and updates the AdDatabase. Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD₋₋RESPONSE table FIG. 4 and populates the fields RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 toindicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to, the date and time ofthe response, the format of the response, and the location of theresponse file on the IVR. The field RSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to RA toindicate that the audio recording is in the RealAudio .RA file format.

Finally, the field RSP₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 is set to TRUE for boththe audiotext .VOX file and the RealAudio .RA file to indicate that theaudio files do not need to be converted.

If there are additional matches, the caller is returned to block 8009.Otherwise, the call is terminated 8015.

ADVERTISER MATCHING VIA THE INTERNET

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to a specificadvertiser retrieving her matches via the Internet will now be treatedto accomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 9. First, suppose anadvertiser at terminal CT1 connects to the Internet to find existing adsthat match her profile. The assumed advertiser connects to the Internetand inputs a Uniform Reference Locator URL, for example:http://www.personal₋₋ ads.com, resulting in a connection from the remoteterminal CT1 to a Home Page 9001 on the Internet Web Server.

Referring to FIG. 9., from the Home Page 9001 on the Internet WebServer, the Internet user selects a Match Form 9002. The Match Form 9002instructs the advertiser to enter a mailbox number 9003 and password9004. The IWS then queries the Ad Database to determine if the mailboxnumber and password are valid 9005. If the entries are not valid, theInternet user is presented with an Invalid Mailbox and Password Form9006. If the entries are valid, the IWS queries the Ad Database 9007 tofind existing ads whose profile matches that of the advertiser.

If the query does not find any matching ads, the advertiser is presentedwith a No Matches Page 9009. If the query finds one or more matchingads, the IWS presents the advertiser with a Results Form 9010. TheResults Form 9010 shows the matching ads. Specifically, the Results Formshows the twenty word text ad that appears in the newspaper 9011. Inaddition, each ad contains one or more icons that represent anyadditional text or multimedia files (audio, video, photograph) for theads that are available on the IWS. These icons include an audio icon9012 to denote the ad's audio greeting, a still camera icon 9013 todenote a photograph of the advertiser, a video camera icon 9014 todenote a video clip of the advertiser, or a paper icon 9015 to denotethe ad's full text greeting, if the ad was placed on the Internet. It isto be understood that these icons are merely representative and thatmany other possibilities exist to denote the existence of text andmultimedia files. By clicking on an icon, the Internet user can view orlisten to the associated file. In addition, by selecting a maximize bar9016, the Internet user can expand the ad to a fill page size FIG. 14.

The Internet user responds to an ad by selecting the "Respond" button9017. When the Internet user selects the respond button, she ispresented with an Ad Response Form 9018. The Internet user creates aresponse by typing in a response text field 9019. After completing theAd Response Form, the Internet user submits the form by pressing the"Submit" button 9020. The advertiser is then presented with a ResponseConfirmation Form 9021. The Response Confirmation Form gives theadvertiser information on enhancing her response with an audio message,photograph, or video clip.

The IWS then stores the response to a disk file and updates the AdDatabase 9022. Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in the AD₋₋RESPONSE table FIG. 4 and then populates the fields RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME505 to indicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to, the date andtime of the response, the format of the response, and the location ofthe response file on the IWS. The field RSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to TEXT.Finally, the field RSP₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 is set to TRUE toindicate that the text does not need to be converted to a differentformat.

The Internet user can return to the Results Form by using the "Back" keyon her browser.

REVIEWING AND SUMMARIZING ADS

All new personal ads are reviewed by an operator at an OperatorWorkstation to insure that their content is appropriate. Also, eachgreeting submitted by an advertiser, whether it be an audio greetingrecorded by an advertiser via a telephone or a text greeting placed byan advertiser via the Internet, is summarized by an operator to create atwenty word classified text ad for publication in a newspaper. Thetwenty word limit is a function of newspaper imposed space limitations.It should be noted that space limitations, if they exist at all, mayvary widely from newspaper to newspaper. In another format, text adsthat are published in the newspaper are first placed with a liveoperator via a telephone, precluding the need to summarize an audiorecording.

An exemplary operation of the process of reviewing and summarizing adswith regard to a specific operator at OW1 will now be treated toaccomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 10. The operator firstqueries the Ad Database to determine if there are new ads to review1800. Specifically, the query looks for all ads in the AD₋₋ PERSONALtable FIG. 2 where the field AD₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 210 is set to FALSE. Ifthe query finds a new ad, the operator first reviews the ad's greeting1801 as found in the AD₋₋ GREETINGS table FIG. 3. If the ad was placedvia telephone, this consists of listening to the ad's audio greeting. Ifthe ad was placed via the Internet, this consists of reading the textgreeting. The operator then determines if the greeting's contents areappropriate 1802. If the greeting's contents are inappropriate, the adis deleted and the record purged from the Ad Database 1803 and theoperator is returned to block 1800. If the greeting's contents areappropriate, the operator writes a twenty word summary of the greeting1804. The operator then queries the Ad Database to determine if theadvertiser recorded an e-mail address 1805. If an e-mail address audiorecording is found, the operator transcribes the e-mail address 1806.The operator then updates the Ad Database 1807.

Specifically, the advertiser's twenty word text summary is stored to adisk file on the IWS. The AD₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 210 in the AD₋₋ PERSONALtable FIG. 2 is set to TRUE indicating that the ad has been reviewed. Inaddition, a new record for the text summary is created in the AD₋₋GREETINGS table FIG. 3 and the field GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 303 set to TRUEindicating that the record has been reviewed. In the new record, thefields GR₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 301, GR₋₋ TYPE 302, GR₋₋ FILENAME 304, GR₋₋DATE₋₋ TIME 305 in the table AD₋₋ GREETINGS FIG. 3 are also populated toindicate the advertiser's mailbox number, the file format, and thelocation of the text file on the IWS, and the date and time. The fieldGR₋₋ TYPE is set to TEXT. Finally, the field GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 306is set to TRUE to indicate that the text does not need to be convertedto a different format.

The operator then returns to block 1800 to continue processing ads. Ifno new ads are found, the operator queries the Ad Database to determineif any multimedia files (audio, video, or photo) have been submitted viathe Internet to enhance a personal ad 1808. Specifically, the querylooks for all ads in the AD₋₋ PERSONAL table FIG. 2 where the field AD₋₋REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 210 is set to TRUE that has files in the AD₋₋ GREETING₋₋TABLE FIG. 3 where the GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 303 is set to FALSE. If thequery finds a multimedia file, the operator first reviews the file 1809.If it is an audio file, this consists of listening to the ad's audiogreeting. If it is a video or graphic file, this consists of viewing thefile. The operator then determines if the greeting's contents areappropriate 1810. If the greeting's contents are inappropriate, the fileis deleted and the record purged from the Ad Database 1811. The operatoris then returned to block 1808 to continue processing multimedia files.If the file's contents are appropriate, the operator approves the file1812 and updates the Ad Database 1813. Specifically, this consists insetting the field GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 303 to TRUE to indicate that thefile has been reviewed.

If the file is an audio file, the Operator Workstation converts the fileto create a new RealAudio RA file and stores the file on the IWS. TheOperator Workstation also converts the file to create a Dialogic VOXfile and stores the file on the IVR. For each new audio file, a newrecord is created in the AD₋₋ GREETINGS table FIG. 3 and the fields GR₋₋MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 301, GR₋₋ TYPE 302, GR₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 305, and GR₋₋FILENAME 304 are populated to indicate the mailbox number of theadvertiser, the format of the file, the date and time, and the locationof the audio file on the IVR. Also, the field GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋ FLAG 303 isset to TRUE to indicate that the file has been reviewed. Finally, thefield GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG is set to TRUE to indicate that the audiofile does not need to be converted.

If the file is a video file, the Operator Workstation converts theMicrosoft AVI file to create a new VDOLive file and stores the file onthe IWS. Also, a new record is created in the AD₋₋ GREETINGS table FIG.3 and the fields GR₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 301, GR₋₋ TYPE 302, GR₋₋ DATE₋₋TIME 305, and GR₋₋ FILENAME 304 are populated to indicate the mailboxnumber of the advertiser, the format of the file, the date and time, andthe location of the video file on the IVR. Also, the field GR₋₋ REVIEW₋₋FLAG 303 is set to TRUE to indicate that the file has been reviewed.Finally, the field GR₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 306 is set to TRUE to indicatethat the video file does not need to be converted.

The operator then returns to block 1808 to continue processingmultimedia files. If no new multimedia files are found, the session isterminated 1814.

PUBLISHING ADS IN THE NEWSPAPER

Each week, all the twenty-word summary text ads from personal adssubmitted via telephone and via the Internet are published in anewspaper along with their five digit mailbox numbers. FIG. 11 depictspersonal ads as they would appear in the local newspaper. Icons areincluded in each ad that represent the origin of an ad (via telephone orvia the Internet) and what additional information or multimedia, if any,is available on the Internet. For example, an ad placed via thetelephone contains a telephone icon 2001; an ad placed via the Internetcontains a computer icon 2002. If there is additional text on theInternet, an ad contains an icon denoting additional text 2003. Thepresence of a photo or video clip is indicated respectively by a stillcamera 2004 and video camera 2005 icons.

RESPONDING TO AN AD THROUGH A TELEPHONE

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to a telephone callerresponding to a personal advertisement will now be treated to accomplishthe process as indicated in FIG. 12. First, suppose a telephone callerat terminal T1 places a call to respond to a personal ad advertised inXYZ newspaper. The assumed call involves the telephone caller actuatingthe buttons to input the number 1 900 777 3333, for example. As aresult, signals are provided to the public telephone network resultingin a connection from the remote terminal T1 to the IVR. Using standardDNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number 1 900 777 3333with a specific format, for example, a voice personals response format.

Referring to FIG. 12, upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the "invalidmailbox number count" equal to zero 2301. The IVR then increments the"invalid mailbox number count" by one 2302 and cues the caller for amailbox number 2303. Upon the caller entering a mailbox number, the IVRqueries the field AD₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 201 to determine if the mailboxnumber is valid 2304. If the mailbox number is invalid, the IVRdetermines if the caller has exceeded the maximum number of attemptsallowed 2305. If the caller has exceeded the maximum number of attemptsallowed, the call is terminated 2306. If the maximum number of attemptsallowed has not been exceeded, the IVR increments the "invalid mailboxnumber count" by one 2302 and again cues the caller for a mailbox number2303.

If the mailbox number is valid, the IVR queries the field AD₋₋ ORIGIN211 to determine if the ad originated on the Internet 2307. If the adoriginated on the telephone, the IVR plays the ad's audio greeting 2311.If the ad originated on the Internet, the IVR uses text to speech toplay the ad's text greeting as placed on the Internet 2308. The IVR thenqueries the AD₋₋ GREETINGS table FIG. 2 to determine if the Internetadvertiser also submitted an audio greeting 2309. If the query does notfind an audio greeting 2310, the IVR prompts the caller to indicate ifhe wishes to respond to the ad 2312. If the query finds an audiogreetings 2310, the IVR plays the audio greetings 2311. The IVR thenprompts the caller to indicate if he wishes to respond to the ad 2312.

If the caller elects not to respond to the ad, he is given the option ofhaving the IVR find other ads that are similar to the one he justlistened to 2325. If the caller elects to respond to the ad, the IVRfirst cues him to record his response 2319. The IVR then stores theresponse to a disk file 2320 and updates the Ad Database 2321.Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD₋₋ RESPONSE tableFIG. 4 populates the fields RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailboxnumber of the ad responded to, the date and time of the response, theformat of the response, and the location of the response file on theIVR. The field RSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to VOX to indicate that the audiorecording is in the Dialogic .VOX file format. Finally, the field RSP₋₋CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio must beconverted from the Dialogic .VOX format to create a new audio file inthe RealAudio .RA format for playback on the Internet.

The IVR also creates a new RealAudio .RA file from Dialogic .VOX fileand stores the RealAudio file to a disk file on the IWS. Specifically,the IVR creates a new record in the AD₋₋ RESPONSE table FIG. 4 andpopulates the fields RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 503,RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number ofthe ad responded to, the date and time of the response, the format ofthe response, and the location of the response file on the IVR. Thefield RSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to RA to indicate that the audio recordingis in the RealAudio .RA file format. Finally, the field RSP₋₋CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 is set to TRUE for both the audiotext .VOX fileand the RealAudio .RA file to indicate that the audio files do not needto be converted.

In addition, the mailbox number of the personal ad responded to isplaced in a notification queue 2322, together with delivery informationcorresponding to the ad, so that the advertiser can be notified that aresponse has been left for her ad. The delivery information includes thetelephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser tobe notified.

The caller is then asked if he wants the IVR to automatically find otherads that are similar to the one he just responded to 2325. If the callerdeclines this option, the call is terminated 2326.

RESPONSE MATCHING VIA TELEPHONE

If the caller chooses to have the IVR find other matching ads, the IVRqueries the Ad Database to find other ads that are similar to the adselected by the caller. Specifically, an ad is deemed to be similar ifthe age in the ad's profile is within five years of the profile of thead selected by the caller and if the ads have the same gender andmarital status. It is to be understood that the criteria used todetermine a similar ad could vary greatly in kind and quantity.

If the query does not find any matches, the call is terminated 2320. Ifthe query returns a match, the caller is returned to block 2307 forprocessing.

RESPONDING TO AN AD THROUGH THE INTERNET

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to a specific Internetuser responding to a personal ad via the Internet will now be treated toaccomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 13.

First, suppose an advertiser at terminal CT1 connects to the Internet torespond to a personal advertisement advertised in XYZ newspaper. Theassumed Internet user connects to the Internet and inputs a UniformReference Locator URL, for example: http:H/ www.personal₋₋ ads.com,resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT1 to a Home Page onthe Internet Web Server.

Referring to FIG. 13, from the Home Page 2401 on the IWS, the Internetuser selects an Ad Response Form 2402. The Ad Response Form instructsthe Internet user to enter the five digit mailbox number of the ad shewishes to respond to 2403. Upon the Internet user entering her mailboxnumber, the IWS queries the field AD₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER in the AdDatabase to determine if the mailbox number is valid 2404. If themailbox number is invalid, the Internet user is presented with anInvalid Mailbox Number Form 2405.

If the mailbox number is valid, the IWS presents the Internet user witha Results Form 2406. The Results Form 2406 shows the ad the Internetuser selected. Specifically, the Results Form shows the twenty word textad that appears in the newspaper 2407. In addition, the ad contains oneor more icons that represent any additional text or multimedia files(audio, video, photograph) for the ad that are available on the IWS anda link to other ads that match the ad to which the Internet user isresponding. These icons include an audio icon 2408 to denote the ad'saudio greeting, a still camera icon 2409 to denote a photograph of theadvertiser, a video camera icon 2410 to denote a video clip of theadvertiser, a paper icon 2411 to denote the ad's full text greeting, ifthe ad was placed on the Internet and a "matching" icon to denote thatthe IWS has identified other ads that are similar to the one beingresponded to 2415. It is to be understood that these icons are merelyrepresentative and that many other possibilities exist to denote theexistence of text and multimedia files. By clicking on an icon, theInternet user can view or listen to the associated file. In addition, byselecting a maximize bar 2412, the Internet user can expand an ad tofull page size FIG. 14. The Internet user responds to an ad by selectingthe "Respond" button 2413.

When the Internet user selects the respond button, she is presented withan Ad Response Form 2414. The Internet user creates a response bycompleting a response text field 2416. After completing the Ad ResponseForm, the Internet user submits the form by pressing the "Submit" button2422. The advertiser is then presented with a Response Confirmation Form2423 which is illustrated in FIG. 15. The Response Confirmation Formgives the advertiser information on enhancing her response with an audiomessage, photograph, or video clip.

The IWS then stores the response to a disk file and updates the AdDatabase 2424. Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in the AD₋₋RESPONSE table FIG. 4 and populates the fields RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 toindicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to, the date and time ofthe response, the format of the response, and the location of theresponse file on the IWS. The field RSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to TEXT.Finally, the field RSP₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 is set to TRUE toindicate that the text does not need to be converted to a differentformat.

In addition, the mailbox number of the personal ad responded to isplaced in a notification queue 2425, together with delivery informationcorresponding to the ad, so that the advertiser can be notified that aresponse has been left for her ad. The delivery information includes thetelephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser tobe notified.

ENHANCING A RESPONSE WITH AUDIO, PHOTOGRAPH AND VIDEO

As already indicated, after a text response has been submitted via theInternet, the Internet user is shown a Response Confirmation Form FIG.15 1501. The response confirmation form gives the Internet userinstructions on how to enhance a response to an ad with audio, video, ora photograph.

A more detailed explanation of how a respondent submits an audioresponse, photograph, or video clip via CT1 will now be given. To submitan audio response, the Internet user first makes an audio recordingusing a WAV file editor and then saves the file 1503, for example:response.wav. The Internet user then submits the audio file using e-mailto the recipient's electronic mailbox on the IWS 1504, for example:22345@personals.com 1512. The Internet user's audio response is storedto a disk file on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated 1505.

Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD₋₋ RESPONSE tableFIG. 4 and populates the fields RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 506 to indicate the mailboxnumber of the ad responded to, the date of the response, the format ofthe audio file, and the location of the audio file on the IVR. The fieldRSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to WAV to indicate that the audio recording is inthe Microsoft .WAV file format. Also, the field RSP₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG506 is set to FALSE to indicate that the audio file must be convertedfrom the Microsoft .WAV format to create two new audio response files:one in the RealAudio .RA format for playback on the Internet, andanother in the Dialogic VOX format for playback via the telephone.

The IWS determines if conversion of audio files is needed 1506, and thencreates a new RealAudio .RA file and Dialogic .VOX file from theMicrosoft .WAV file 1507. The RealAudio file is stored on the IWS andthe Dialogic file is stored on the IVR. The IWS also updates the AdDatabase 1508. Specifically, for each new audio file, the IWS creates anew record in the AD₋₋ RESPONSE table FIG. 4 and populates the fieldsRSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, andRSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailbox number of the ad respondedto, the date of the response, the format of the response, and thelocation of the response file on the IWS. Finally, the field RSP₋₋CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 is set to TRUE for both the source audio file(.WAV) and the target audio files (.VOX and .RA) to indicate that theaudio files do not need to be converted 1509.

To send a photograph in response to an ad, the Internet users firstdigitizes a photograph using a scanner or takes a photograph with adigital camera and then saves the image to a .GIF file, for example:response.gif. The respondent then submits the graphic file using e-mailto the recipient's electronic mailbox, for example: 22345@personals.com1504. The respondent's photo is stored to a disk file on the IWS and theAd Database is updated 1505.

Specifically, the IWS creates a new record in the AD₋₋ RESPONSE tableFIG. 4 and populates the RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋ TIME503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailboxnumber of the ad responded to, the date of the response, the file formatof the photograph, and the location of the file on the IWS. The fieldRSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to GIF to indicate that the graphic file is in the.GIF file format. Finally, the field RSP₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 is setto TRUE to indicate that no file conversion is necessary as .GIF is thegraphic file format used by the IWS 1506. It should be noted that fileconversion may or may not be necessary depending on what file formatsare supported by the IWS and IVR and in which formats the system allowsusers to submit files.

To send an advertiser a video clip, the Internet user first digitizes avideo clip and then saves the image to a Microsoft .AVI file 1510, forexample: 44567.avi. Other video formats such as Apple Quicktime, or MPEGvideo could also be used. The respondent then submits the graphic fileusing e-mail to the recipient's electronic mailbox, for example:22345@personals.com 1504. The respondent's video is stored to a diskfile on the IWS and the Ad Database is updated 1505.

Specifically, the IVR creates a new record in the AD₋₋ RESPONSE tableFIG. 4 and populates the fields RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋ DATE₋₋TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 to indicate the mailboxnumber of the ad responded to, the date of the response, the file formatof the video clip, and the location of the video file on the IWS.Specifically, the field RSP₋₋ TYPE 504 is set to AVI to indicate thatthe audio recording is in the Microsoft .AVI file format. Finally, thefield RSP₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 is set to FALSE to indicate that theVDOLive file must be converted to the VDOLive format for real timeplayback on the Internet.

The IWS determines that the video file must be converted to VDOLiveformat 1506. The IWS creates a new VDOLive file from the Microsoft .AVIfile and stores the new file to a disk file 1507 on the IWS and updatesthe Ad Database 1508. A new record in the AD₋₋ RESPONSE table FIG. 4 iscreated and the IWS populates the RSP₋₋ MAILBOX₋₋ NUMBER 501, RSP₋₋DATE₋₋ TIME 503, RSP₋₋ TYPE 504, and RSP₋₋ FILENAME 505 fields toindicate the mailbox number of the ad responded to, the date and time ofthe response, the format of the video file, and the location of thevideo file on the IWS. Finally, the field RSP₋₋ CONVERSION₋₋ FLAG 506 isset to TRUE for both record formats (AVI and VDOLive) in the Ad Databaseto indicate that the video files does not need to be converted 1509.

RESPONSE MATCHING VIA THE INTERNET

As previously indicated, if the user selects the matching option 2415 inFIG. 13, the IWS queries the Ad Database to find other ads that aresimilar to the ad selected by the caller. Specifically, an ad is deemedto be similar if the age in the ad's profile is within five years of theprofile of the ad selected by the caller and if the ads have the samegender and marital status. Its is to be understood that the criteriaused to determine a similar ad could vary greatly in kind and quantity.

NOTIFYING AN ADVERTISER OF A RESPONSE

FIG. 16 illustrates the notification routine that processes the recordsplaced in the notification queue in step 2322 of FIG. 12 and step 2425of FIG. 13. In step 3001, the DBS scans the notification queue todetermine if any notifications are scheduled to be made at the presenttime. As previously described, each notification record includes thetelephone number and e-mail address, if available, of the advertiser tobe notified. In step 3003, the DBS scans the notification record for ane-mail address. If an e-mail address is present, the DBS sends therecord to the IWS 3004. In step 3005, the IWS sends an e-mail message tothe advertiser informing him that a response has been made to his ad.The e-mail message includes a link that can be followed to the actualresponse for those retrieving their e-mail via a browser. Step 3006sends the record to the IVR. In step 3007, the IVR dials an advertiser'stelephone number contained in the callback record and waits for aresponse. If a voice response is not received, then the IVR sends acorresponding message to the DBS. The DBS then marks the time of theattempted callback in the notification queue record, so that a setperiod of time can be established between callback attempts. Note couldalso be made if an e-mail message had been sent to avoid sendingduplicate notifications. If a voice response is received 3008, then instep 3009, then the IVR sends a voice message informing the advertiserthat a response has been made to his ad. The voice message also gives atelephone number and Internet address that can be used to retrieve theresponse. It may be desirable in certain applications to prompt theperson who answers the telephone for a password and mailbox number toverify their identity. Also, it may be desirable to actually allow theperson to listen to the response during the call.

RETRIEVING RESPONSES THROUGH A TELEPHONE

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to an advertiserretrieving responses to his personal ad will now be treated toaccomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 17. First, suppose anadvertiser at terminal T1 places a call to retrieve messages left inresponse to his ad. The assumed call involves the advertiser actuatingthe buttons to input the number 1 900 777 4444, for example. As aresult, signals are provided to the public telephone network resultingin a connection from the remote terminal T1 to the IVR. Using standardDNIS techniques, the IVR associates the called number 1 900 777 4444with a specific format, for example, a message retrieval format.

Referring to FIG. 17, upon receiving a call, the IVR sets the "logonattempts" equal to zero 2501. The IVR then increments the "logonattempts" by one 2502 and cues the caller for a mailbox number 2508 andpassword 2503. The IVR then queries the Ad Database to determine if themailbox number and password are valid. If the entries are not valid, theIVR determines if the caller has exceeded the maximum number of logonattempts allowed 2505. If the caller has exceeded the maximum number oflogon attempts allowed, the call is terminated 2506. If the maximumnumber of logon attempts allowed has not been exceeded, the IVRincrements the "logon attempts" by one 2502 and again cues the callerfor a mailbox number and password 2503.

If the entries are valid, the IVR then queries the AD₋₋ RESPONSE tableto determine if the advertiser has any responses 2507. If the advertiserhas no responses, the call is terminated 2506. If the IVR finds aresponse, the IVR plays the text 2513 and audio 2514 messages from therespondent. If a response is in text form, the IVR uses text to speechto play the message. If there are additional responses, the caller isreturned to block 2513. Otherwise, the call is terminated 2506.

RETRIEVING MESSAGES THROUGH THE INTERNET

An exemplary operation of the system, with regard to an advertiserretrieving her messages via the Internet will now be treated toaccomplish the process as indicated in FIG. 18. First, suppose anadvertiser at terminal CT1 connects to the Internet to retrievemessages. The assumed Internet user connects to the Internet and inputsa Uniform Reference Locator URL, for example: http://www.personal₋₋ads.com, resulting in a connection from the remote terminal CT1 to aHome Page 1701 on the Internet Web Server.

Referring to FIG. 18, from the Home Page 1701 on the Internet WebServer, the advertiser selects a Message Retrieval Form 1702. TheMessage Retrieval Form 1702 instructs the advertiser to enter a mailboxnumber 1703 and password 1704. The IWS then queries the Ad Database todetermine if the mailbox number and password are valid 1705. If theentries are not valid, the Internet user is presented with an InvalidMailbox and Password Form 1706. If the entries are valid 1705, the IWSqueries the Ad Database 1707 to find responses to the advertiser's ad.

If there are no responses, the IWS presents the advertiser with a NoResponses Form 1709. If the IWS finds one or more responses, the IWSpresents the advertiser with a Personal Ad Messages Form 1710. ThePersonal Ad Messages Form 1710 shows any messages for the advertiser.Each message shows the date 1712 and time 1713 the message was receivedand contains one or more icons that represent the contents of themessage. A text icon 1714 denotes a text message; an audio icon 1715denotes an audio message; a still camera icon 1716 denotes a photograph;a video camera icon 1717 denotes a video clip. By clicking on an icon,the advertiser can view or listen to the associated file.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for providing an electronic advertisingsystem with matching, said method comprising the steps of:receivinginput data via the Internet; storing said Internet input data; receivingan audio recording via the Internet; storing said audio recording;providing input data via a telephone; matching said Internet input datawith said telephone input data; and playing said audio recording via atelephone; wherein said audio recording is received from an advertiser,wherein said audio recording is associated with said Internet inputdata; and wherein said audio recording describes an item or personavailable through said system.
 2. A method for providing an electronicadvertising system with matching according to claim 1, wherein saidmethod further comprises the steps of:sending an audio response messagevia a telephone; and retrieving said audio response message via theInternet.
 3. A method for providing an electronic advertising systemwith matching according to claim 1, wherein said method furthercomprises the step of:storing said telephone input data.
 4. A method forproviding an electronic advertising system with matching according toclaim 1, wherein said method further comprises the step of:providingnotification of advertisements subsequently available through saidsystem that match said telephone input data.
 5. A method for providingan electronic advertising system with matching according to claim 4,wherein said method further comprises the steps of:receiving preferencedata; and storing said preference data; wherein said preference dataincludes a preferred time to send information or a preferred mode ormodes to deliver information.
 6. A method for providing an electronicadvertising system with matching according to claim 4, wherein saidproviding notification is done via telephone.
 7. A method for providingan electronic advertising system with matching according to claim 4,wherein said providing notification is done via the Internet.
 8. Amethod for providing electronic advertising system with matchingcomprising the steps of:creating a database of advertisements; placing aspecific advertisement in said database via the Internet; receiving anaudio recording via the Internet; storing said audio recording; playingsaid audio recording via a telephone; sending an audio response messagevia a telephone; isolating a subset of advertisements; and retrievingsaid audio response message via the Internet; wherein said audiorecording is received from an advertiser; wherein said audio recordingis associated with said specific advertisement; wherein said audiorecording describes an item or person available through said system; andwherein said subset comprises advertisements similar to said specificadvertisement.
 9. A method for providing an electronic advertisingsystem with notification comprising the steps of:receiving an audiorecording via the Internet; storing said audio recording; playing saidaudio recording via a telephone; sending an audio response message via atelephone; and providing notification of said audio response message;wherein said audio recording is received from an advertiser; and whereinsaid audio recording describes an item or person available through saidsystem.
 10. A computer based advertising system with matching, saidsystem comprising:means for placing an advertisement; digitalinformation storage device; publishing means; means for storing an audiorecording via the Internet; means for outputting said audio recordingvia a telephone; and means to isolate a subset of a plurality of saidadvertisements; wherein said audio recording is associated with saidadvertisement; wherein said digital information storage device storessaid advertisement as digital information; and wherein said publishingmeans formats said digital information for publication.
 11. A computerbased advertising system as defined in claim 10, wherein said systemalso comprises means for sending an audio response via a telephone whichcan be retrieved via the Internet.
 12. A telephone and Internet basedmatching system comprising the steps of:a first individual providing afirst set of data via a telephone; a second individual providing asecond set of data via the Internet; matching said first set of datawith said second set of data.
 13. A telephone and Internet basedmatching system as defined in claim 12, wherein said method alsocomprises a means for sending an audio response via a telephone whichcan be retrieved via the Internet.
 14. A telephone and Internet basedmatching system as defined in claim 13, wherein said method alsocomprises a means for sending a response via the Internet which can beretrieved via a telephone.
 15. A telephone and Internet based matchingsystem as defined in claim 12, wherein said method also comprises ameans for placing a text advertisement via the Internet which can beplayed via a telephone.
 16. A telephone and Internet based matchingsystem as is defined in claim 12, wherein said method also comprises ameans for placing an audio recording via the Internet which can beplayed via a telephone.
 17. A telephone and Internet based matchingsystem as defined in claim 12, wherein said method also comprises ameans for placing an audio recording via a telephone which can be playedvia the Internet.
 18. A method for providing an electronic advertisingsystem with matching comprising the steps of:receiving input data viathe Internet; storing said Internet input data; placing a textadvertisement via the Internet; storing said text advertisement;inputting input data via a telephone; matching said Internet input datawith said telephone input data; and playing said text advertisement viaa telephone; wherein said text advertisement is associated with saidInternet input data.
 19. A method for providing an electronicadvertising system with matching according to claim 18, wherein saidmethod further comprises the steps of:sending an audio response messagevia a telephone; and retrieving said audio response message via theInternet.
 20. A method for providing an electronic advertising systemwith matching according to claim 18, wherein said method furthercomprises the step of:storing said telephone input data.
 21. A methodfor providing an electronic advertising system with matching accordingto claim 20, wherein said method further comprises the step of:providingnotification of advertisements subsequently available through saidsystem that match said telephone input data.
 22. A method for providingan electronic advertising system with matching according to claim 21,wherein said method further comprises the steps of:receiving preferencedata; and storing said preference data; wherein said preference dataincludes a preferred time to send information or a preferred mode ormodes to deliver information.
 23. A method for providing an electronicadvertising system with matching comprising the steps of:creating adatabase of advertisements; placing a specific advertisement in saiddatabase via the Internet; playing said specific advertisement via atelephone; sending an audio response message via a telephone;transferring said audio response message to an Internet access location;and isolating a subset of advertisements; wherein said subset comprisesadvertisements similar to said specific advertisement.
 24. A method forproviding an electronic advertising system with notification comprisingthe steps of:placing a text advertisement via the Internet; storing saidtext advertisement; playing said text advertisement via a telephone;sending an audio response message via a telephone; transferring saidaudio response message to an Internet access location; and providingnotification of said audio response message.
 25. A computer basedadvertising system with matching, said system comprising:means forplacing an advertisement via the Internet; digital information storagedevice; publishing means; means for outputting said advertisement via atelephone; and means to isolate a subset of a plurality of saidadvertisements; wherein said digital information storage device storessaid advertisement as digital information; and wherein said publishingmeans formats said digital information for publication.
 26. A computerbased advertising system as defined in claim 25, wherein said systemalso comprises means for sending an audio response via a telephone whichcan be retrieved via the Internet.
 27. A method for providing anelectronic advertising system with matching comprising the stepsof:providing input data via a telephone; storing said telephone inputdata; placing an audio recording via a telephone; storing said audiorecording; receiving input data via the Internet; matching saidtelephone input data with said Internet input data; transferring saidaudio recording to an Internet access location; receiving a responsemessage via the Internet; and retrieving said response message via atelephone; wherein said audio recording is associated with saidtelephone input data; and wherein said audio recording describes an itemor person available through said system.
 28. A method for providing anelectronic advertising system with matching according to claim 27,wherein said method further comprises the step of:storing said Internetinput data.
 29. A method for providing an electronic advertising systemwith matching according to claim 28, wherein said method furthercomprises the step of:providing notification of advertisementssubsequently available through said system that match said Internetinput data.
 30. A method for providing an electronic advertising systemwith matching according to claim 29, wherein said method furthercomprises the steps of:receiving preference data; and storing saidpreference data; wherein said preference data includes a preferred timeto send information or a preferred mode or modes to deliver information.31. A method for providing an electronic advertising system withmatching according to claim 29, wherein said providing notification isdone via telephone.
 32. A method for providing an electronic advertisingsystem with matching comprising the steps of:creating a database ofadvertisements; placing a specific advertisement in said database;placing an audio recording via a telephone; storing said audiorecording; transferring said audio recording to an Internet accesslocation; receiving a response message via the Internet; retrieving saidmessage via a telephone; and isolating a subset of advertisements;wherein said audio recording is associated with said specificadvertisement; wherein said audio recording describes an item or personavailable through said system; and wherein said subset comprisesadvertisements similar to said specific advertisement.
 33. A method forproviding an electronic advertising system with notification comprisingthe steps of:placing an audio recording via a telephone; storing saidaudio recording; transferring said audio recording to an Internet accesslocation; receiving a response message via the Internet; providingnotification of said response message; and retrieving said responsemessage via a telephone; wherein said audio recording describes an itemor person available through said system.
 34. A computer basedadvertising system with matching, said system comprising:means forplacing an advertisement; digital information storage device; publishingmeans; means for placing an audio recording via a telephone; means foroutputting said audio recording via the Internet; and means to isolate asubset of a plurality of said advertisements; wherein said audiorecording is associated with said advertisement; wherein said digitalinformation storage device stores said advertisement as digitalinformation; and wherein said publishing means formats said digitalinformation for publication.
 35. A computer based advertising system asdefined in claim 34, wherein said system also comprises a means forsending a response via the Internet which can be retrieved via atelephone.
 36. A method for providing an electronic advertising systemwith matching comprising the steps of:receiving a first set of inputdata via the Internet; storing said first set of input data; receivingan audio recording via the Internet; storing said audio recording;receiving a second set of input data via the Internet; matching saidfirst set of input data with said second set of input data; and playingsaid audio recording via the Internet; wherein said audio recording isreceived from an advertiser, wherein said audio recording is associatedwith said first set of input data; and wherein said audio recordingdescribes an item or person available through said system.
 37. A methodfor providing an electronic advertising system with matching accordingto claim 36, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:sendingan audio response message via the Internet; and retrieving said audioresponse message via the Internet.
 38. A method for providing anelectronic advertising system with matching according to claim 36,wherein said method further comprises the step of:storing said secondset of input data.
 39. A method for providing an electronic advertisingsystem with matching according to claim 38, wherein said method furthercomprises the step of:providing notification of advertisementssubsequently available through said system that match said second set ofinput data.
 40. A method for providing an electronic advertising systemwith matching according to claim 39, wherein said method furthercomprises the steps of:receiving preference data; and storing saidpreference data; wherein said preference data includes a preferred timeto send information or a preferred mode or modes to deliver information.41. A method for providing an electronic advertising system withmatching comprising the steps of:creating a database of advertisements;placing a specific advertisement in said database via the Internet;receiving an audio recording via the Internet; storing said audiorecording; playing said audio recording via the Internet; and isolatinga subset of advertisements; wherein said audio recording is receivedfrom an advertiser; wherein said audio recording is associated with saidspecific advertisement; wherein said audio recording describes an itemor person available through said system; and wherein said subsetcomprises advertisements similar to said specific advertisement.
 42. Amethod for providing an electronic advertising system with notificationcomprising the steps of:receiving an audio recording via the Internet;storing said audio recording; playing said audio recording via theInternet; receiving a response message via the Internet; and providingnotification of said response message; wherein said audio recording isreceived from an advertiser; and wherein said audio recording describesan item or person available through said system.
 43. A computer basedadvertising system with matching, said system comprising:means forplacing an advertisement; digital information storage device; publishingmeans; means for storing an audio recording via the Internet; means foroutputting said audio recording via the Internet; and means to isolate asubset of a plurality of said advertisements; wherein said audiorecording is associated with said advertisement; wherein said digitalinformation storage device stores said advertisement as digitalinformation; and wherein said publishing means formats said digitalinformation for publication.
 44. A computer based advertising system asdefined in claim 43, wherein said system also comprises a means forsending an audio response via the Internet which can be retrieved viathe Internet.
 45. A computer based advertising system as defined inclaim 43, wherein said system also comprises a means for sending a textresponse via the Internet which can be retrieved via the Internet.
 46. Acomputer based advertising system as defined in claim 43, wherein saidsystem also comprises a means for sending a video response via theInternet which can be retrieved via the Internet.
 47. A method forproviding an electronic advertising system with matching comprising thesteps of:receiving a first set of input data via the Internet; storingsaid first set of input data; receiving a video recording via theInternet; storing said video recording; receiving a second set of inputdata via the Internet; matching said first set of input data with saidsecond set of input data; and playing said video recording via theInternet; wherein said video recording is received from an advertiser,wherein said video recording is associated with said first set of answerdata; and wherein said video recording is of an item or person availablethrough said system.
 48. A method for providing an electronicadvertising system with matching according to claim 47, wherein saidmethod further comprises the steps of:receiving a response message viathe Internet; and retrieving said response message via the Internet. 49.A method for providing an electronic advertising system with matchingaccording to claim 47, wherein said method further comprises the stepof:storing said second set of input data.
 50. A method for providing anelectronic advertising system with matching according to claim 49,wherein said method further comprises the step of:providing notificationof advertisements subsequently available through said system that matchsaid second set of input data.
 51. A method for providing an electronicadvertising system with matching according to claim 49, wherein saidmethod further comprises the steps of:receiving preference data; andstoring said preference data; wherein said preference data includes apreferred time to send information or a preferred mode or modes todeliver information.
 52. A method for providing an electronicadvertising system with matching comprising the steps of:creating adatabase of advertisements; placing a specific advertisement in saiddatabase via the Internet; receiving a video recording via the Internet;storing said video recording; playing said video recording via theInternet; and isolating a subset of advertisements; wherein said videorecording is received from an advertiser; wherein said video recordingis associated with said specific advertisement; wherein said videorecording is of an item or person available through said system; andwherein said subset comprises advertisements similar to said specificadvertisement.
 53. A method for providing an electronic advertisingsystem with notification comprising the steps of:receiving a videorecording via the Internet; storing said video recording; playing saidvideo recording via the Internet; receiving a response message via theInternet; and providing notification of said response message; whereinsaid video recording is received from an advertiser; and wherein saidvideo recording is of an item or person available through said system.54. A computer based advertising system with matching, said systemcomprising:means for placing an advertisement; digital informationstorage device; publishing means; means for storing a video recording;means for outputting said video recording via the Internet; and means toisolate a subset of a plurality of said advertisements; wherein saidvideo recording is associated with said advertisement; wherein saiddigital information storage device stores said advertisement as digitalinformation; and wherein said publishing means formats said digitalinformation for publication.
 55. A computer based advertising system asdefined in claim 54, wherein said system also comprises means forsending an audio response via the Internet which can be retrieved viathe Internet.
 56. A computer based advertising system as defined inclaim 54, wherein said system also comprises means for sending a textresponse via the Internet which can be retrieved via the Internet.
 57. Acomputer based advertising system as defined in claim 54, wherein saidsystem also comprises means for sending a video response via theInternet which can be retrieved via the Internet.
 58. A telephone andInternet based matching system comprising the steps of:a firstindividual providing a first set of data via the Internet; a secondindividual providing a second set of data via the Internet; and matchingsaid first set of preference with said second set of data; wherein saidfirst individual sends a message via the Internet to said secondindividual which can be retrieved via a telephone.
 59. A telephone andInternet based matching system comprising the steps of:a firstindividual providing a first set of data via the Internet; a secondindividual providing a second set of data via the Internet; and matchingsaid first set of data with said second set of data; wherein said firstindividual sends a message via a telephone to said second individualwhich can be retrieved via the Internet.
 60. A telephone and Internetbased matching system comprising the steps of:a first individualproviding a first set of data via the Internet; a second individualproviding a second set of data via the Internet; and matching said firstset of data with said second set of data; wherein said first individualsends an audio message to said second individual via the Internet whichcan be retrieved via the Internet.
 61. A telephone and Internet basedmatching system comprising the steps of:is a first individual providinga first set of data via the Internet; a second individual providing asecond set of data via the Internet; and matching said first set of datawith said second set of data; wherein said first individual sends avideo message to said second individual via the Internet which can beretrieved via the Internet.
 62. A telephone and Internet based matchingsystem comprising the steps of:a first individual providing a first setof data and an audio recording via the Internet; a second individualproviding a second set of data via the Internet; matching said first setof data with said second set of data; and said second individual playingsaid sends audio recording via the Internet; wherein said audiorecording is associated with said preference of said first individual;and wherein said audio recording describes an item or person availablethrough said system.
 63. A telephone and Internet based matching systemcomprising the steps of:a first individual providing a first set ofinput data and a video recording via the Internet; a second individualproviding a second set of input data via the Internet; matching saidfirst individual and said second individual based on said first set andsecond set of input data; and said second individual playing said videorecording via the Internet; wherein said audio recording is associatedwith said preference of said first individual; and wherein said audiorecording describes an item or person available through said system. 64.A method for providing an electronic advertising system with matchingcomprising the steps of:receiving input data via the Internet; storingsaid Internet input data; receiving a video recording via the Internet;storing said video recording; providing input data via a telephone;matching said Internet input data with said telephone input data;playing said the audio track of said video recording via a telephone;wherein said video recording is received from an advertiser, whereinsaid video recording is associated with said Internet answer data; andwherein said video recording is of an item or person available throughsaid system.
 65. A method for providing an electronic advertising systemwith matching according to claim 64, wherein said method furthercomprises the steps of:sending an audio response message via atelephone; and transferring said audio response message to an Internetaccess location.
 66. A method for providing an electronic advertisingsystem with matching according to claim 64, wherein said method furthercomprises the step of:providing notification of advertisementssubsequently available through said system that match said telephoneinput data.
 67. A method for providing an electronic advertising systemwith matching comprising the steps of:creating a database ofadvertisements; placing a specific advertisement in said database viathe Internet; receiving a video recording via the Internet; storing saidvideo recording; playing said the audio track of said video recordingvia a telephone; sending an audio response message via a telephone;transferring said audio response message to an Internet access location;and isolating a subset of advertisements; wherein said video recordingis received from an advertiser; wherein said video recording isassociated with said specific advertisement; wherein said videorecording is of an item or person available through said system; andwherein said subset comprises advertisements similar to said specificadvertisement.
 68. A method for providing an electronic advertisingsystem with notification comprising the steps of:receiving a videorecording via the Internet; storing said video recording; playing saidthe audio track of said video recording via a telephone; sending anaudio response message via a telephone; transferring said audio responsemessage to an Internet access location; and providing notification ofsaid audio response message; wherein said video recording is receivedfrom an advertiser; and wherein said video recording is of an item orperson available through said system.